When You're on the Block

An emergency is when immediate police, fire or rescue as­sis­tance is nec­es­sary.

911 should not be di­aled for non-emer­gen­cy calls that do not involve or require im­me­di­ate as­sis­tance.

However, if you feel that there is an emergency occurring, but don’t know for certain, presume it is an emergen­cy and use 911. IF IN DOUBT, USE 911!

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

Do exactly what the 911 op­er­a­tor tells you to do. Give the operator all nec­es­sary information, including the fire number on the house. (There are no street addresses on Block Island. Instead, all builings have fire numbers clearly marked on theoutside of the house.) Remeber, your assistance could make the difference between serious injury, life or death.

TOWN OR­DI­NANC­ES PRO­HIB­IT:

Town Or­di­nanc­es Pro­hib­it:• Drinking alcoholic beverages in streets, on docks and beaches. • Camping, except by special permission. • Sleeping overnight in vehicles or on beaches.• Operating mo­tor­cy­cles between midnight and 6 a.m.• Beach fires and/or driving on the beach without a permit. • Dumping refuse on roads or in harbors. • Shellfishing without a license. • Charcoal fires on boats tied up at docks.• Disturbing the peace.• Un­leashed dogs. • Littering. • Single use plastic bags • Balloons

Important Is­land Phone Num­bers

BI Medical Center 466-2974

Police (nonemergency) 466-3220

Fire Department / Rescue Squad 466-3220

Coast Guard (Block Island) 466-2086

Coast Guard (Galilee) 24 hours 789-0444

RI Poison Control (800) 222-1222

BI Airport 466-5511

Harbormaster 466-3204

Town Clerk 466-3200

Recreation Department 466-3223

Interstate Navigation (Block Island) 466-2261

Block Island Express 466-2212

Block Island Hi-Speed Ferry 466-2261

Transfer Station 466-3234

Vehicular BEACH RE­STRIC­TIONS

Vehicles are permitted to drive on Crescent Beach only from 6 p.m. until 9 a.m. No motor vehicle shall be allowed on the beach without a valid, updated permit from the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). Permits are available at the police department for $100/residents, $200/non-residents (June 20- Sept. 7) Sunday, 6-7 p.m., Monday, 1:30-2:30 p.m. and Friday, 3-4 p.m. All motor vehicles of any description are prohibited on dunes except on trails marked expressly for vehicular use. Vehicles are also not allowed on any lands designated “Open Space” and maintained by the town for the benefit of the general public.

DUNE PROTECTION

The dunes offer a home to countless species of plants and animals that, like the beach itself, need our protection if they are to survive. To help save the life of our dunes and beaches, we urge you to:

• Use designated access paths and parking lots only.

• Keep off dunes and beach vegetation.

• Keep all vehicles off the beach, as they destroy vegetation and cause beach erosion.

• Do not sleep on the beach overnight.

BEACH FIRES

Beach fires are prohibited without a permit. Permits are available at the police department, and are valid for one day, expiring at midnight. Fires must be at least 25 feet from dunes. Please clean up and dispose of all trash properly and extinguish fires completely before leaving the beach.

POND PROTECTION

Gas motors banned

All forms of gasoline or diesel fuel-powered motors on boats are prohibited on BI’s freshwater ponds.

Pollutants and contaminants banned

No discharging of any sew­­age, petroleum products, detergents, pesticides, or any other form of pollutants or con­tam­i­nants is permitted.

Penalty for violation

Any person violating this ordinance shall, upon con­vic­tion, be subject to a fine of not more than $100, or confinement for not more than 10 days, or both such fine and confinement. Any person convicted of a second violation shall be subject to a fine of not more than $200, or forfeiture of motor and equipment, or both.

WILDLIFE REFUGES

Protected wildlife areas

Wildlife refuge areas on Block Island include Sachem Pond, Payne’s Farm, the Southeast Lighthouse, Rodman’s Hol­low, Lewis-Dickens Farm, Beane Point and Cormorant Cove. No one may hunt, shoot, trap, or annoy wildlife, or destroy or disturb the eggs, nest or nesting area of any wildlife within des­ig­nat­ed areas.

Penalty for violation

Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100, or be imprisoned not more than 10 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, together with costs of prosecution.

SHELLFISH OR­DI­NANC­ES

A license is required for shellfishing. Beds are currently closed to the harvesting of scallops and oysters. The harvesting of clams is restricted. For more info, call the Harbors Department at 466-3204 or stop by the Harbormaster’s shack in New Harbor (adjacent to the Boat Basin), where shellfishing licenses are sold.

ANIMAL ORDINANCES

Dogs must be licensed and wear tags on a collar. Unless in a vehicle or on property of its owner, dogs must be leashed with a cord not exceeding 6 feet in length. For problems contact the Police Department at 466-3220. Horses: the New Shoreham Town Council requests that all persons refrain from riding horses in the downtown area.

Block Island’s Rules of the Road

Please note: A ban on hand held cell phones, while driving, went into effect on June 1, 2018 in Rhode Island.

Pedestrians. Pay special attention to traffic while in the downtown area. According to Rhode Island law, pedestrians must walk against traffic (on the left side) on roads without sidewalks.

Bicyclists. please take care when cycling the unique roads of Block Island. Ride with the traffic, obey traffic signs and adhere to all rules of the road. Hand signals are very helpful to other traffic and can prevent accidents. Keep on the right side of the road and ride single-file whenever possible. For nighttime riding, a light is required for the front of the bicycle and a reflector should be attached to the rear. Bicycles are not permitted on Greenway trails. Helmets are required for bicyclists age 16 and under, and strongly encouraged for adults.

RollerBlades, Scooters, skateboards. Due to heavy congestion and safety concerns, rollerblading, skateboarding and scootering are not permitted in the downtown area or on Ocean Avenue. Skating and scootering is allowed north of Town Beach, south of the Spring House and on the west side of the island. Please travel with the traffic and adhere to all rules of the road. Scooters with helper motors (electric or gas) are not allowed on roads by RI state law.

Bicycles AND MOPEDS. Bicycles are the preferred rental ve­hi­cles. You can ex­plore dirt roads with them. If you do rent a moped, please note —

• Mopeds are not allowed on dirt roads.

• By law, a helmet and eye protection must be worn.

• Do not leave the training area until you are sure that you know how to operate the moped and its controls.

• Once you are on the road, proceed slowly enough to examine on­com­ing road conditions. Do not drive on the shoulder of the road. Driver inexperience, heavy traffic flow, sandy shoul­ders, sharp curves, and uneven pavement are common causes of accidents on Block Island.

• Mopeds may be operated from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. only.

• Passengers must ride behind the operator.

Accidents. Do not hesitate to seek help from the Rescue Squad if you have or witness an accident. First aid and am­bu­lance service is rendered at no cost to you. A por­tion of the Rescue Squad budget is met by town funds, but the Rescue Squad relies heavily on do­na­tions to cover the full costs of training, equipment, supplies and maintenance. Any contribution made to support this work will be welcomed and ac­knowl­edged. Donations are tax-deductible. Mail donations to: Block Island Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 214, Block Island, RI 02807.

Other Useful Island Information

Recycling.All trash must be separated for recycling. Deposit your sidewalk trash in the recycling con­tain­ers marked for bottles, cans or trash only. These special containers are not for household or boat trash. Those renting houses should use the Transfer Station, located on West Beach Road. Recyclables (news­pa­per, glass, cardboard, plastics, aluminum and tin cans) are free. Glass, cans, plastics and aluminum should be clean. Other trash is deposited at a charge of 12 cents per pound, paid in cash, by local check or credit card at the Transfer Station (466-3234).

Rabies notice. State law and town ordinances require that all pets (cats, dogs or ferrets) brought to the island be vaccinated against rabies. In addition to vaccinating pets, people should stay away from all wild and stray animals. Rabies is always fatal unless treated before symptoms develop. Rhode Island rabies hotline: 1-800-482-7878, ext. 3.

Please Conserve Water. While the island’s municipal water company has been producing a lot of good water this summer, water conservation is still encouraged, and the water is a precious island resource. On properties with septic systems, be sure not to overload the system with showers, dishwashing and clothes-washing all at once. And please don’t shock such systems with paper products, fats, oils and greases.

Advice for Visitors from

the Block Island Medical Center

Lyme disease: Don’t get ticked off.

Lyme disease is a serious health threat on Block Island. Visitors should make a daily “tick check.” Look for at­tached ticks, no bigger than a pinhead, red areas and itchiness. Symptoms in­clude rashes, head­aches, joint stiff­ness, chills, fever, and nausea. Not all ticks carry the disease; not all people bitten catch it. Infection is uncommon if the tick is removed within 24 hours. Consult your phy­si­cian if you suspect you may have be­come infected. Treatment after early di­ag­no­sis is gen­er­al­ly effective, but be­comes more difficult if symp­toms are left untreated. Long pants and sleeves and insect repellant are sug­gest­ed for forays into wooded areas, brush and meadows.